Explosive and process of making



Patented Aug. 27, 1946 EXPLOSIVE AND PROCESS OF MAKING 'Walter W. Vogl,Omaha, Nebr., assignor to Ralph E. Svoboda No Drawing. ApplicationAugust 17, 1942,

1 Serial No. 455,126

5 Claims.

1 The present invention relates to a novel explosive and to a process ofmaking same, in which a part of the NH2 group of ethylene diamine iscombined with perchloric acid and another part thereof is combined witha polynitroaromatic compound. An important example of such beingethylene diamine perchloratepicrate. Instead of the picric acid(trinitrophenol) compound other compounds such as that of trinitrocresoland certain other bodies can be produced in a similar manner.

These explosives are suitable for use as bursting charges in missiles,as boosters, for reinforced detonators, detonating fuses, etc.

Perchlorates of ethylene diamine and of certain related bodies, andmethods of producing the same, are discussed in my copending applicationSerial No. 397,968, filed June 13, 1941.

In the present invention, ethylene diamine perchlorate in which not allof the amino group (basic nitrogenous group) present is joined toperchloric acid, is treated with trinitrophenol (picric acid) or ahomologue, or other polynitro aromatic bodies which contain a hydroxylgroup. 0r instead, certain other active groups may be present in placeof the hydroxyl group. Examples of such other substances are sulfonicacids, diazocompounds, and polynitro-compounds f highly acid character,etc.

Taking trinitrophenol as typical, this can act as an acid (it iscommonly called picric acid) and being an acid of sufficient reactivity,it is capable of reacting with the amine (joining the NH2 group byaddition). Hence, not all of the NH2 groups of the ethylene diamine arecombined with perchloric acid. Thus it is possible to react one mole ofperchloric acid with one mole of ethylene diamine, forming ethylene di-Example 1.--20O parts of perchloric acid solu- It will be observed thatthe figures given in this example correspond to 1 mole of the diamine, 1mole of perchloric acid and slightly over 1 mole and the other NHz groupis combined with picric 7 acid. This product is an explosive.

The resulting explosive is of greenish brown color and has a highvelocity f detonation.

Example 2.--To kg. of dry ethylene diamine monoperchlorate 121 kg. oftrinitrocresol are added and the mixture slowly heated to C. The amountsof the two materials are substantially equimolar. The trinitrocresol(beinga homologue of picric acid) reacts with the free amino group ofthe monoperchlorate in a manner wholly analogous to the reaction ofpicric acid in Example 1.

In my researches n this subject matter, I have demonstrated that aperchlorate of ethylene diamines, which still contains a reactive NHzgroup,

can be caused to react with numerous polynitroaromatic bodies of an acidnature, to form explosives which have highly useful properties.

It will be understood that I do not restrict myself to the use of such aproportion of perchloric acid as will combine with exactly one NH:group. Nor do I restrict the invention to the specific materials used.

The. prefix poly as employed herein is intended to include a plurality,and is not restricted to at least three.

I claim:

1. An explosive containing as its essential constituent a compound ofethylene diamine in which one amino group of the diamine is linked toperchloric acid and the second amino group is combined with apolynitroaromatic body of acid character.

2. An explosive containing as its essential constituent a compound ofethylene diamine in which one amino group is linked to perchloric acidand the other amino groupis combined with a trinitro phenolic body ofacid character.

3. An explosive containing as its essential constituent a compound ofethylene diamine in which one amino group is linked to perchloric acidand the other amino group is combined with picric acid.

4. Ah explosive containing as its essential constituent a compound ofethylene diamine in which one amino group is linked to perchloric acidand the other amino group is combined with trinitrocresol.

5. A process of producing an explosive which comprises reactingperchloric acid on ethylene diamine, the amount of said perchloric acidbeing substantially less than the amount needed to combine with all theNHz groups, and reacting upon the product with a polynitroaromaticcompound of an acid character.

WALTER W. VOGL.

